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墨書 Inktalez
Actually, at that time, Qianqian called Xiaohua out, and all we could think of was that they were just going to argue. But in reality, we had no idea what they talked about.
The police immediately sent someone to find Xiaohua's whereabouts. Someone said she walked out of the hotel. Lin You nudged me and whispered, "Let's go outside for some fresh air!"
"Sounds good."
Lin You and I turned to head outside and saw Brother Rong walking alone out of the hotel. I didn't see the female ghost who had been following her, but it suddenly made me think of a plan.
"Actually, if we want to know how Qianqian died, we just need to find her soul and ask her, right? Jun Chong is here; this shouldn't be difficult."
After I said that, Lin You seemed to wake up from a dream. "That's a good idea. Where is Jun Chong now?"
I frowned; there was no trace of him around. "He left after we entered the hotel last night and hasn't come back since. I have no idea where he is."
"What should we do then? Let's wait! If you're here, he will definitely come back."
Because of this incident, no one was in the mood to have fun. However, to cooperate with the investigation, the police ordered everyone not to leave the hotel today, so we were forced to stay and wait.
Being stuck in the hotel with nowhere to go only worsened everyone's mood. Many young people who were usually hot-headed dared not argue with the police but instead started arguing with the hotel staff, demanding that the hotel take full responsibility.
Lin You and I sat on a sofa in the hotel lobby watching those furious people. The hotel staff appeared unusually calm, as if news of a death wouldn't cause them any loss. They stood their ground against those causing trouble and only agreed to give yesterday's guests a discount.
This only made the angry crowd more furious; it almost escalated into a fight until the police passed by and calmed things down.
"Ah, it's always like this. I plan to finish my work this month and then leave," I said.
"What's there to be afraid of?" one of the more seasoned Cleaners said nonchalantly. "It's just four deaths a year; this is already the third one. If one more dies, that's it. Where else can you find such good pay? In other places, you'd just be stuck and earn hardly anything."
Lin You and I exchanged glances, realizing that people died here every year, and it always happened to be four.
"Is that true? When I came here, I heard that people had died, but the pay was good, so I decided to give it a try."
"Of course it's true." The experienced aunt glanced at the people over there and whispered to the younger aunt. Lin You and I leaned in closer to listen.
"Ever since this hotel brought in that stone, people die here every year, and it’s always four of them—tourists. None of the hotel staff have ever been harmed, so don’t worry. Three have already died this year."
"Is business still good despite that?"
Lin You suddenly asked. The aunt turned to look at us when she heard someone else chime in. Her gaze landed on me, and she squinted her eyes slightly, raising an eyebrow as a flicker of something unusual passed through her eyes. I shivered, feeling a chill.
The aunt proudly said, "Of course it is! But the real fame only spread after that stone appeared."
"Where is that stone?"
"I don't know about that." The aunt noticed our interest and seemed to become more animated as she casually wiped the coffee table in front of us with a cloth while continuing to talk. "The woman who died today was your friend, right?"
Lin You and I nodded. The aunt sighed and shook her head, deliberately lowering her voice. "Let me tell you, if you want to avoid dying, there's actually a treasure for that."
I chuckled lightly; it sounded like a scam. "Is there really such a treasure?"
Suddenly, the aunt reached out her hand, pinching her thumb and middle finger together as if indicating she wanted money to share more information. Lin You immediately grabbed my hand and stood up with a cheerful smile. "We have things to do; we’ll be leaving now."
"You will die if you don't listen to me!"
The aunt sighed and shook her head, as if she had lost a chance to earn a tip, her gaze lingering on me without leaving.
Lin You pulled me out of the hotel and headed towards Four Sisters Spring.
Four Sisters Spring consists of four hot spring pools, each carved into the likeness of a woman and named after the ancient Four Great Beauties. They surround the hotel, with a winding stream continuously extending outward.
Legend has it that women who come here to pray for blessings become beautiful, and those who visit with their loved ones often experience unexpected surprises. Over time, it has earned the reputation of being a sacred place for love.
In reality, it's just an ordinary hot spring. Its appeal lies in its scenic geography and various exaggerated claims, making it a popular vacation spot.
However, I noticed that the soil around the hot springs was black, and no weeds grew there; instead, there were artificial plants that made the area appear even more dazzling.
"How about we soak in the hot springs?"
I nodded, and Lin You eagerly volunteered to go back for her swimsuit while I waited for her. Due to the recent death, many people had refrained from visiting the hot springs. This was a common occurrence for the hotel staff, but it still left us outsiders feeling uneasy.
I pondered how much truth there was in what the aunt had said.
"Can a stone really have such great power?"
"Don't underestimate anything in nature."
Suddenly, someone chimed in. I turned to see Sister Fang from the publicity department.
She was the leader this time, and it wouldn't be easy to explain this incident when she returned. In her thirties, her face was full of fatigue as she sat down next to me and let out a heavy sigh. "Anxin, how could this happen?"
"Unexpected events always occur when we are unprepared, which is why they are called unexpected events." I patted her hand gently. "Sister Fang, don't be sad. Once today is over, we'll head back tomorrow morning!"
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
"Why?"
"The police just notified me that they can't find Xiaohua. When I called her, her phone was off. Someone saw her leave the hotel, but no one knows where she went. There are no cameras outside the hotel, so it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. We came out together, and now one person, Qianqian, is dead. If anything happens to Xiaohua, I really won't be able to live with myself."
Tears streamed down her cheeks as Sister Fang buried her head in her hands, her shoulders trembling.
"Sister Fang, this isn't your fault. Qianqian didn't die in vain."
Sister Fang leaned into my embrace and began to cry. I comforted her by patting her back repeatedly when suddenly I caught a familiar scent in the air. As I lifted my eyelids, I saw a man walking leisurely through the vintage corridor ahead, his hands tucked into his pockets as if he were taking a stroll.
"Sister Fang, sit tight for a moment; I'll step out."
"Where are you going?"
"I saw someone I know; I'll be right back."
I followed him as he walked forward without any intention of stopping. The Qilin Hairpin nestled in his dark hair glimmered with pure gold under the light, dazzlingly bright. I raised my hand to shield my eyes and peered through the gaps between my fingers, feeling an odd sense of illusion wash over me.
The Qilin Hairpin seemed to have been made for him, hidden within that hair color. Although it belonged to a man, it did not seem out of place; rather, it felt strangely fitting.
My steps halted due to this illusion, and the man suddenly stopped as well, turning around with a smile. "Why aren't you chasing me anymore?"
It turned out he had known I was following him all along.
"Give me back the Qilin Hairpin," I said, extending my hand with determination. "That is my possession."
"Who says so?" He removed the Qilin Hairpin, allowing his long black hair to cascade down, framing his stunning face. There was a certain delicate beauty about him; if one did not look closely, they might truly mistake him for a tall woman. "This thing belongs to me."
"Don't lie to me; how could it possibly be yours?"
"Why wouldn't it be mine?" He toyed with the slender Qilin Hairpin, a playful smile on his face. "Why don't you tell me?"
"You are the Sealed King Jun Chong's Sixth Seal. As a seal, how could the Qilin Hairpin possibly be your property?"
I voiced my suspicion, but Cangling's smile remained unchanged, still radiating warmth. A gentle breeze passed by, carrying a fragrance from him that complemented his pure white casual attire, creating a picturesque beauty.
"Just because I'm a seal means I can't possess the Qilin Hairpin? That's quite amusing."
A surge of joy filled my heart. My earlier statement was merely a test to see if he truly was the Sixth Seal since Jun Chong himself was uncertain; I was only guessing. To my surprise, he admitted it without any concealment.
"Oh dear, you've caught me off guard, little girl. You're not simple at all!"
With his true identity exposed, Cangling showed no signs of wanting to hide. Holding the tip of the Qilin Hairpin out toward me, he asked, "Do you want it?"
Before my hand could even touch the Qilin Hairpin, he snatched it back and re-coiled his hair to secure it.
"Catch me if you can; that way, you can directly unlock the Sixth Seal," he said with a light smile, his hands tucked back into his pockets. "But he can't see me. So you might as well go through the Fourth and Fifth Seals before coming to find me!"
He turned to leave, and I took off after him. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn't keep up with his pace, while he walked leisurely in my view.
During all this, I didn't catch a whiff of the fragrance that usually surrounded him, just like at Fang Shasha's wedding in the hotel. I couldn't catch up, nor could I smell anything.
"Anxin, it's bad! It's really bad!" I had just stopped to catch my breath when Jiao Jiao came running over, crying uncontrollably as she hugged me tightly. Her petite body trembled continuously. "What happened? Who bullied you?"
"Xiaohua... Xiaohua is dead," Jiao Jiao sobbed. "She died in her room. I ran into Xiao You halfway, and she said you were going to the hot springs, so I said I'd come too. When I went back to get my swimsuit and opened the door, I saw Xiaohua tied to the ceiling, dead. There was blood everywhere—it's blood."
Lin You and Sister Fang also got the news and rushed over. We tried to comfort Jiao Jiao before heading to the hotel together.
Xiaohua's body hung vertically from the ceiling, her tongue pulled out, her limbs severed and bound to her torso with red rope. Bright red blood dripped down steadily, pooling on the floor into a small river.
Xiaohua wore a plain white dress with a large blood character written across her chest.
Sister Fang let out a scream and fainted. Lin You and Jiao Jiao hurriedly lifted her up and tried to revive her. I instinctively took a step back and bumped into a solid wall of flesh. Before I could turn around, a hand pressed down on my shoulder.
"Anxin, it's me."
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